Protecting Them
by Silent Angel of Time
Summary: When Willow offers to carry a prophetic baby will she end up with more than she expected or can handle?
1. Chapter 1

August 2007  
  
"Is Willow in?" A young teen asks walking into the newly remodeled Magic Box.  
Anya nods, disappointed that the she isn't a customer, "I'll go get her."  
A six-month pregnant Anya makes her way to the room that had, 4 years ago, been Buffy's training room and now was the room that the group did they're research in. Buffy's death had been hard on her friends but it had been even harder on Sunnydale and her friends had dealt with Buffy's death by protecting Sunnydale. But that had been four years ago and things were almost like they had been when Buffy was alive, except, well without Buffy.  
"What do you mean Dawn isn't coming home for the weekend?" Xander and Sike are in the process of asking when Anya walks in.  
"Well we really can't expect Dawn to want to come home from college every weekend." Willow states. "I mean she's a freshman in college..."  
"Willow there is someone in the shop to see you." Anya interrupts.  
"Thanks Anya." Willow responds setting down the book she was reading and stands up to follow Anya out of the room,  
"Are you Willow?" the girl asks anxiously.  
"Yes," Willow nods, "can I help you with something?"  
"Actually yes there is." The girl looks nervously around her, "is there anywhere we can talk privately?"  
"Of course," Willow responds and calling back to Anya, "Anya do you mind if we use the office?"  
"No go ahead." Anya waves them off counting through her money at the register.  
"What is it I can help you with?" Willow asks once she had closed the door leading into the office.  
"Someone said you could help me." The girl responds.  
"I probably can." Willow states, "but first, why don't you tell me your name and how old you are?"  
"Hanna, and I'm 16."  
"All right Hanna," Willow smiles warmly, "who said I could help you?"  
"Someone at Angel Investigations, by the name of Fred." Hanna wrings her hands as she speaks.  
"Well then Fred is probably right. Why don't you explain to me what the problem is?" Willow urges the younger girl softly.  
Hanna takes a deep breath and starts to speak. "I found out that I was pregnant a month ago, right after weird things started to happen. People were following me and I-I didn't know what to do so I went to Angel Investigations, they said they would find out what the problem was. And I-I don't understand it. Fred said that if you call her she can explain it better." The girl bursts into tears, burying her face in her hands.  
"All right." Willow whispers in a soothing voice, "I will call Fred right now and have her explain it to me. Why don't you stay right here and I will go call her?" Hanna nods and Willow slips out of the office.  
  
After explaining everything to the group Willow had picked up the phone in the back room and when she finally sets the phone back into its cradle, Xander asks, "so why did Fred send her here?"  
"It turns out that the child Hanna is carrying is prophesied," Willow states.  
"So basically she is carrying a demon baby." Spike sighs.  
"No," Willow shakes her head, "the opposite actually. The baby is said to save the world from eternal damnation."  
"Eternal damnation, Hell on Earth, you use those words to loosely they just lose all effect." Xander sighs.  
"So we have to protect this girl?" Anya inquires.  
Willow shakes her head sadly, "Hanna is dying."  
"Bloody hell, that complicates things from the start doesn't it?" Spike asks right out.  
"Then how are we supposed to protect the baby if the mother is going to die?" Xander asks looking at Willow quizzically.  
Willow sinks into the chair before she begins speaking, "Fred has found a spell to transfer the baby from one person to another..."  
"Willow..." Xander begins.  
"Xander there is no one else." Willow insists, "Fred as well as Anya are both to pregnant to transfer another baby. And Cordelia is unable to have children, there is no one else. I'm it."  
"Willow..." Xander starts, but stops when he can't think of anything.  
"Xander, Willow is right." Xander's wife interrupts, "this is what we do, save the world...And if this baby is required to do that, well then we have to protect it."  
"Let me talk to Hanna alone please." Willow insists walking out of the room. When she enters the office again she finds Hanna much calmer.  
"Did you talk to Fred?" Hanna asks softly.  
"Yes, Hanna, I did." Willow sits down across from the girl, 10 years her junior, "you understand that this baby is precious to the future right?"  
Hanna nods, "yes."  
"All right then." Before she begins speaking Willow takes the girl in. She is obviously very ill, her skin is pale and her long black hair provides a strong contrast. "Fred informed me that there is a way to transfer the baby into someone who is better equipped to protect it."  
Hanna gasps, shock and disgust spreading across her face as she backs away from Willow, "That, that's not right."  
"Hanna I understand that this is not something you would normally think about. But you can't protect this baby, I'm sorry, I wish to tell you otherwise. But I can assure you that it won't hurt you or the baby..."  
  
"Well how did it go?" Anya asks when Willow finally emerges from the office nearly an hour later.  
Willow rubs her temples, "not so well. It took a lot of convincing, but I did it. I just need a few things to perform the spell with. When I come out of there the next time I'll be pregnant."  
  
Anya sighs watching Xander and Spike pace, between the two of them she was going to go crazy. She understood their worry, every since the permanent death of Buffy the loss of any member of the scoobies terrified every single one of them. When Dawn had been accepted to a college outside of Sunnydale Anya thought that Xander and Spike were going to lock her up in a tower and never let her out. But they had, and now all they did was get upset when Dawn didn't come home every single weekend. And now Willow was going to be carrying an important baby that people wanted dead, talk about raising Xander's blood pressure, and whatever the equivalent was for a vampire.  
When Willow finally emerges from the office she has her arm wrapped around Hanna a weak smile on her face, "Fred wants you to go stay at the hotel with them until..." Willow lets her sentence trail.  
"All right." And with those words, and no thank you Hanna hurries out of the Magic Box.  
"Well she was rude." Anya insist.  
Willow shrugs, "she was just scared."  
"Will Anya and I want you you to move in with us." Xander states.  
Willow shakes her head quickly, "thanks Xander, Anya that's really sweet, but no."  
"Willow, I'm sorry but who knows if there will be something coming after you. Someone needs to be there to protect you at all times." Xander insists.  
"Xander-" Willow begins.  
"I'll do it." Spike speaks up.  
"What?" Willow asks as she, Xander and Anya stare stunned at Spike.  
"I said I'll do it. Red's got a big apartment with a lot of extra room, if she moved in with you guys no one would ever sleep, with two newborns." Spike responds, "so if Willow wants I will move in with her."  
Willow bites her lip and shrugs in response, "I guess that works."  
Xander looks thoughtful for a minute and then he finally nods, "Fine, Will if you won't move in with me and Anya then Spike is the only other choice."  
"OK then." Spike shrugs, "when do you want me to move in?"  
"Whenever Spike." Willow responds with a sigh, she had just been getting used to the quiet apartment that she shared with Dawn when she came home to visit.  
"I will walk Anya home and then we can move your stuff in tonight Spike." Xander suggests.  
"I've got to walk Red home so I will meet you at my crypt." Spike states.  
Anya and Willow both raise eyebrows at the men, "we aren't invalids." Willow states.  
"Right," Anya nods, "we are capable of walking ourselves home." At the look of hurt on Xander's face Anya caves, "all right Xander let's go."  
"Doesn't much matter to me Red, I was just offering." Is Spikes response.  
Willow rolls her eyes at the vampire, "fine Spike if you want to walk me all the way to the apartment and all the way back to the graveyard then go ahead." 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Ok probably not the longest chapter every but I wanted to get something out there! I hoep you enjoy!  
  
"Willow don't lift that!" Spike exclaims rushing, along with Xander, to Willow's side as Willow lifts a box that Spike had brought along from his crypt.  
  
"Hello, guys? I think I can lift the box." Willow states but before she can protest further the box has been taken from her and carried into the room that Willow had decided would be best to put Spike in.   
  
"Willow you can help me get these curtains up." Anya offers from the bedroom.  
  
Willow's drops open in mock shock, "you mean they are letting you use a screw driver."  
  
"Ha ha!" Xander calls walking into the room with a box, "just because we are looking out for your welfare it makes us the butt of all your jokes."  
  
"And just because we are pregnant it makes us the way to sheltered women." Anya retorts.  
  
Willow smiles as she listens to Xander and Anya banter and she has the feeling that she and Spike are going to start to sound like that. Spike all ready seemed like he had been taking lessons from Xander and he had only been moved in for, well 30 minutes now.  
  
Once the heavy velvet curtains that Willow had dug out of the back of her closet, and Spike and Xander had put together a bed Xander and Anya prepared to leave.  
  
"So I will stop by in the morning to drop you off at the Magic Box, Spike and I figure that that will be the safest place for you during the day. Considering the no demonic powers spell." Xander states.  
  
"Fine I'll help Anya out at the Magic Box and I can do my work from my laptop there." Willow sighs, realizing the spell had taken more out of her than she originally thought.  
  
"OK, then I will pick you up at about 8." Xander states before he and Anya leave the apartment.   
  
"Can I get you anything?" Willow questions once she and Spike are left alone.  
  
Before he can respond Willow stifles a big yawn, "no I don't need anything. But it looks like you need sleep. So why don't you head to bed?"  
  
"Are you going to treat me like your my father the entire time you are here?" Willow questions.  
  
Spike nods, "yeah probably. Night Red."  
  
Willow sighs, shakes her head and replies, "goodnight Spike."   
  
"So does it say exactly how this baby is going to save the world?" Anya asks as both she and Willow crowd around her laptop. Anya was so curious about the baby that she hadn't even counted the money in the register once and had sat with Willow for most of the day, with the exception of when customers came in, and poured over the copies of text that Fred had emailed Willow from LA.   
  
"Is it like a super hero baby or something?" Anya questions. "Like a mini-super man."  
  
"All of Fred's texts keep saying that the baby will save the world from eternal damnation. But they don't say how or when. Which is really annoying if you ask me, I have no idea if I am going to have a baby with magic powers on my hands or what."  
  
"So we'll keep looking!" Anya exclaims enthused, "There has to be something that these texts are coming from, everything starts off somewhere. We just have to go to the beginning."  
  
Willow nods, "we will figure it out eventually, I'm sure. It will just take a lot of research. But since the guys don't seem very willing to let us do much of anything, I feel that researching is going to become the highlight of my day."  
  
Anya offers Willow a bright smile, "it gets annoying after awhile Xander always hovering. But it has it's perks, he treats me like a princess and I really don't have to much of anything at home. He's cleaning so hey, I can't complain about that."  
  
"Xander cleans?" Willow asks.  
  
Anya nods, "Actually yes. He cooks to but that's not really much to brag about, we have been eating out a lot lately."  
  
"Hello ladies." Xander greets coming into the Magic Box, "everyone ready to go home for the evening?"  
  
Anya gets up and begins to go about her business of closing up the shop as Willow saves everything Fred sent her and close her laptop. By the time Xander drops Willow off at her apartment building the sun is going down and Willow is surprised when she doesn't pass Spike on his way out to patrol.  
  
"Spike? Are you here?" Willow calls dropping her keys on a table beside the door.  
  
"In the kitchen love!" Spike's voice is muffled by the distance but once Willow walks into the kitchen she is stunned to find that table is set with slices of a roast on a plate on one side and a mug on the other. "I figured you would be hungry."  
  
Willow stares at Spike and she realizes for the first time, ever she thinks, that Spike is nervous and concerned about what she thinks, "Spike thank you so much!" Willow exclaims. "I'm starving."  
  
"Spike that was wondering!" Willow exclaims sitting back and setting her napkin on the table. "You are an amazing cook. How did you get so good?"  
  
Spike shrugs, "I just did what the bloke on the telly said. And it came out like the roast did there so I figured I did it right. There was nothing complicated about it. We except for the getting around the apartment during the day."  
  
Willow nods, "we'll get more curtains to put up so that the apartment is more Spike friendly."  
  
A strange expression crosses Spike's face and he states, "I should probably go out patrolling, especially since we didn't go yesterday."  
  
Willow nods, "all right, I'll probably see you tomorrow then."  
  
"Right then, see you tomorrow." Spike is almost out the door before he stops again, "did you want me to stay. Because I could, I mean I could stay in and watch something with you on the telly or something."  
  
Willow smiles at Spike, "I'll be all right Spike, I'll see you tomorrow." 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Another short one, but this one starts to get into the plot.  
  
"So the doctor visit went all right?" Xander asks the instant Willow walks into the magic box a week later.  
  
"Xander what are you doing here? Don't you have a job you should be at?" Willow asks.  
  
"Yes, but I'm here. And where's Spike, I thought he insisted upon going with you to the doctors?" Xander asks, "he promised he would protect you."  
  
Willow rolls her eyes, "he's taking the sewers back, and I'm perfectly safe. And yes, the doctors visit went well, the doctor says I am about 10 weeks pregnant and I am perfectly healthy as is the baby. So now that you assured of that should you be at work?"  
  
"Oh! Right, work. " Xander kisses Anya, "I will see you all later."  
  
"I swear, they are driving me crazy." Willow sighs as she drops into the chair across from Anya.  
  
Anya smirks at Willow, "they care about you."  
  
Willow glares back, she had used the same reassurance on Anya only days before Willow herself had become the object of Xander and Spike's protection obsession. Willow drops her face into her hands, "I guess I just have to put up with it for seven and a half months," Willow sighs, "you only have three months left, lucky you."  
  
"So how's living with Spike?" Anya asks, changing the subject.  
  
Willow stops to think for a minute, "it surprised me, but I actually like living with Spike. I mean we moved out of the house because living there without Buffy was just to painful and it was starting to get boring without Dawn in the apartment. Wanna know what the worst part about living with him is?"   
  
"What?" Anya asks.  
  
"He's got me watching Passions now, and I'm as addicted as he is."  
  
Anya smiles, "well I'm sure he keeps it interesting."  
  
"He cooks for me." Willow adds.  
  
"You mean he makes you macaroni and cheese from the box, right?" Anya asks.  
  
Willow shakes her head, "apparently he started watching the cooking channel and he makes me dinner every night when I get home, it's really nice."   
  
Anya laughs, "Spike cooking, that's funny, should we get him one of those chef's jackets?"  
  
"Giving away my secrets are you Red?" Spike asks coming in from the backroom.  
  
Willow grins at Spike, "nope, just bragging about how good of a cook you are."  
  
"That's my secret." Spike retorts. "Anyway we all know Harris can't cook."  
  
Anya's eyes go wide as she shakes her head, "no, no he can't."  
  
Before anything else can be said an arrow with huge flames coming off of it, follow by dozens more, comes flying in through the windows. "No!" Anya cries, "not again."  
  
With a scan of her eyes and a whisper of helada Willow extinguishes all of the flames before they can do any real damage but the entire room becomes smokey so that none of them can see the other.  
  
"Watch your backs!" Spike calls out from somewhere in the spoke, "Willow stay as close to me as possible."  
  
Before Spike can say anything else a female scream, belonging to either Willow or Anya pierces the air. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four  
  
The scent of blood is the first thing that hits Spike after the female scream in the smokey shop, "Red, you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine,' Willow calls back, "but I think something happened to Anya."  
  
"Anya!" Spike calls and when there's no response he calls again, "Anya!"  
  
"Radura!" Willow calls and as smoke clears Spike and Willow realize that they are the only ones in the shop, Anya had disappeared in the smoke.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaims.  
  
Willow's face is ashen, "we need to call Xander."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Let me go you son of a bitch!" Anya screams fighting against the overly strong man holding her.  
  
"It would be wise for you to remain silent." The man's voice is slow and thick.  
  
"I won't be silent, where the hell are you taking me?" Anya demands.  
  
"To see Lady Kirra," the man returns. "She's been waiting for you."  
  
"What does she want with me?" Anya's energy is spent by down and she stops fighting the huge, strong man.  
  
"She requests your presence."  
  
"Some request," Anya snorts.  
  
"She knew you would not bring your child to her willingly, so she sent me to retrieve you."  
  
Anya's eyes go wide realizing fully for the first time that this wasn't just some random kidnaping they had been after Willow. "I think you're mistaken." Anya comments, stalling for time.  
  
"I do not think so. Lady Kirra told me where to find the woman who is to give birth to the child that we need to complete the ritual, you are that women."  
  
"What ritual?" Anya asks, almost afraid to know what the child will be used for.  
  
"I think that is best left to be a surprise."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where do we start look?" Xander is nearing hysterics by the time he gets back to the singed magic box. "I don't even know where to start looking."  
  
"We'll find her Xander," Willow assures, "we just have to do what we normally do, research."  
  
"Research what luv?" Spike asks, "we didn't get a look at anything." Willow glares at Spike and within seconds Spike's cheek catches on fire, "bloody hell Red!" Spike quickly smothers the fire with a yelp of pain.  
  
Willow's eyes go wide, "I didn't mean to...I mean I didn't seriously put any magic into doing that...It was just a backhand though...I..." Willow's babble trails as the two men's thoughts are momentarily taken off of Anya and focused on Willow.  
  
"What just happened?" Xander questions.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"This isn't the right woman!" Anya kneels before a woman who sits on a thrown her dark hair flowing about her and her red eyes glowing with anger.  
  
"You said she was at the shop you sent me to," the man who's voice had been strong and unwavering before wavers now.  
  
"Yes!" Lady Kirra roars, "but this is not the woman."  
  
"I saw no other woman."  
  
"Could that be because of all the fire you set *my* store on?" Anya questions, realizing that the woman before her knew that she was looking for Willow, Anya adds, "and if you hadn't've made *my* store all smokey you would have found the right woman."  
  
"Smoke does not hinder Unakio's sight," Lady Kirra snaps, "what have you done with the other woman. I picked up on the essence of the witch at your shop ...she's a tricky little witch, but I'll find her. She can't hide from me forever." 


End file.
